By KC Santos
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – Malacañang should re-channel more intelligence funds to social services such as education and healthcare, according to Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond Palatino.
In a budget hearing, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in its 2012 budget proposal, increased the budget for intelligence funds to P600 million or double last year’s budget.
But Palatino, instead, challenged Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. to the use the P300-million budget increase to other uses.
Palatino said the decision of the DBM was made in “bad taste” given the recent budget curtailments for social services like public tertiary education and health.
President Benigno Aquino III has stated that the national budget for 2012 was “biased for the poor” and that the social services sector receives the biggest share of the national budget for 2012 at 31.7 percent, which is equivalent to P575.8 billion.
Palatino added that Ochoa himself said at the budget hearing that the Office of the President (OP) can directly influence budget adjustments.
“The increase in intelligence funds cannot but appear questionable especially in light of the budget cuts to social services like public tertiary education and health. The P300-million increase of intelligence funds will benefit those who will be directly affected by the cuts to social services,” Palatino said.
Palatino highlighted the questionable use and allocation of the budget as it was not subject to audit by any third party.
“The nature of these intelligence funds is also unclear. For what specifically will it be used? The lack of transparency can dangerously lead to program allocations that may go against the democratic rights of the people,” Palatino said.
Citing the impending release of the assessment report by the OP for the Visiting Forces Agreement to which a total of P9 million was allocated, Palatino expects the executive secretary to be more transparent when it comes to the actual program allocation of intelligence funds granted them.
Palatino said that the OP should release its assessment report come September 16, 2011, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the abolishment of the Military Bases Agreement.
